肉肉传媒

KENNESAW, Ga. | Mar 27, 2023

In 2004, Humayun Zafar was a young computer programmer working for Kodak when a hacker nearly derailed his first major project. That incident was the catalyst that changed the course of his career.

鈥淎t the time, there was a lot of uncertainty with the company, and my boss, who recognized that I enjoy solving problems, suggested that I pursue a Ph.D., which is all about learning how to solve problems,鈥� said Zafar, who was already on track to earn a master鈥檚 in information technology from Rochester Institute of Technology. 

With the Kodak incident fresh in his mind, Zafar went on to earn his doctorate in business administration with an emphasis on information technology from the University of Texas, San Antonio. His research focused on organizational information security strategies, known today simply as cybersecurity.

鈥淲hen I started out, information security was seen predominantly as a compliance issue,鈥� Zafar said, adding that many businesses started taking information security seriously only after the 2013 Target data breach that saw hackers steal 70 million of the retailer鈥檚 customer credit card numbers. 鈥淔rom that moment, cybersecurity became a risk management issue, and suddenly the chief information officer was part of top corporate management.鈥�

Today, as assistant chair in the Department of Information Systems and Security and professor of information security and assurance in the Michael J. Coles College of Business, Zafar still looks for ways to solve problems. Recently, he was named director of the College鈥檚 new financial technology programs.

KSU鈥檚 fintech degree programs are an extension of the University鈥檚 involvement in the Georgia FinTech Academy, a statewide initiative to create a talent pipeline for Georgia鈥檚 fintech industry. 

Zafar says that KSU鈥檚 focus on digital payments within the fintech space aligns with the market demands of the state. According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, 118 billion digital transactions鈥攐r 70% of the total U.S. volume鈥攁re processed by more than 170 fintech companies based in Georgia. Given the volume, companies including FIS Global, NCR, Equifax, Fiserv, and Global Payments are creating new fintech jobs at the rate of an estimated 1,000 jobs annually.

For Zafar, focusing on fintech is a natural extension of his work in cybersecurity and fills his own penchant for solving problems.

鈥淭his is one of the few times where industry and academia are on the same page when it comes to understanding an industry,鈥� Zafar said. 鈥淚n most fields, industry is ahead of the curve. But both sides are currently working out what fintech is going to look like. Our students have the chance to help shape the industry鈥檚 direction.鈥�

鈥� Patrick Harbin

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This article first appeared in the of 肉肉传媒 Magazine. 

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 肉肉传媒 offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 45,000 students. 肉肉传媒 State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. 肉肉传媒 State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.